Under Side. Palpi yellow, bordered with white. Breast dark brown, with white streaks. Legs brown. Abdomen red-brown. The ground of the anterior wings next the body is a light chocolate, which is separated from a dusky brown border running along the external edges by a white and orange band, which, being the chief colours on this side, are continued along the posterior wings. The base is adorned with black streaks, surrounded with white, placed along the anterior edges, and others of different forms on the middle of the wings. Along the external edges, on the dusky border, is placed a row of black triangular spots, which at the lower corners are doubled. Posterior wings of the same colour as the anterior, the chocolate ground having a number of small black marks and streaks, bordered with white, in a very irregular manner. At the lower corner is placed a dark grey eye, with a black iris and a white longitudinal streak in the centre, two rows of small black spots, some being edged with white, of different forms, are also placed along the dusky border.
We learn, from the observations of Smeathman and Drury, that this is the insect noticed in the observation upon Charaxes Jason, as possessing exceedingly strong powers of flight. Vide Vol. I. Pl. [1]. fig. 1.
PLATE XXXI.
NYMPHALIS VARANES.
Plate [XXXI]. fig. 1, 2.
Order: Lepidoptera. Section: Diurna. Family: Nymphalidæ, Swains.
Genus. Nymphalis, Latr. Papilio (Nymph. Gemmat.), Drury.
Nymphalis Varanes. Alis supra basi albis immaculatis, apice ferrugineis fulvo et fusco punctatis. (Expans. Alar. 3 unc. 9 lin.)
Syn. Papilio (N.) Varanes, Fabr. Sp. Ins. 2. p. 14. No. 55.